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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Acne 411
by Aaron Dunn, 08.21.07
Four out of five teens have acne. |
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So you've got a pimple. It's right there, on the tip of your nose, in a perfect place for the world to see. It's huge. It's ugly. It's red, bulging, practically glowing. And it really looks like it might explode.
So what's the big deal? After all, you're not the only person on the planet with a blemish on her face. And it will go away.
Get this: Four out of five teens have acne. The fact is, acne is everywhere — on our backs, our faces, our necks, our chests. White heads, black heads, pimples, cysts — call them what you will, but don't lose sleep over them. They're natural. They're there. Get to know them, understand them. Maybe, if you're lucky, you can figure out a way to keep them down.
Pore Me
Here's a quick anatomy lesson: Your body is covered with skin. Your skin is full of microscopic holes called pores. Pores act like vents, allowing oil produced by glands just beneath the skin to seep to the surface. The oil keeps your skin from drying out and makes your hair look healthy.
That oil is called sebum, and the glands that produce it are called sebaceous glands. Under everyday circumstances, your sebaceous glands — and there are millions of them — pump out oil in such a way that it's hardly noticeable. Acne arises you're your sebaceous glands are overworked.
Blame it on Hormones
Our bodies run on hormones. Without them we'd shrivel up and die. They control everything about us — growth, metabolism, sexual development, you name it.
So here's the problem: As a teen you're right in the eye of the perfect hormonal storm, and hormonal changes during puberty are the number one reason for acne. As you go through puberty, your hormones go into overdrive. This increased hormone activity, of course, is what also accounts for growth spurts and increased sexual interest. But it also kicks your sebaceous glands into high gear. The sebum starts to flow. Big time.
System Back Up
It's simple, really: All that sebum, as it works its way to your skin's surface, hits a road block. A little dirt here, some dead skin cells there, and the next thing you know your pores are clogged. The oil backs up.
Sebum, unfortunately, is the physiological equivalent of a steak dinner for something called Propionibacterium acnes. It's power food. P. acnes, a bacterium that occurs naturally in our bodies, feeds on the sebum and multiplies. Before long there's more bacteria than your body can handle. Your skin swells. Zit city.
What to Do
So that's it. Acne is not caused by the food you eat. It has nothing to do with sweets or chocolate or greasy fries. And it's absolutely unrelated to masturbation or any other sexual activity. You can masturbate all you want and it won't make you break out.
If your acne is serious, it's hard not to notice. Acne can't kill you, but what it can do, if you happen to care, is make you feel embarrassed, self-conscious, frustrated, or even depressed.
So what can you do in the fight against acne? Take care of your skin. Wash your hair and face — gently, with warm soap and water — every day. Stay away from oily, dirt-attracting skin products like certain sunscreens and skin lotions. Don't squeeze. Never pick or pop.
If your acne gets really bad, you might want to ask a health care provider for advice. In some cases she'll prescribe medicine that will keep your sebum production down and ultimately help control your pimples. Birth control pills, by reducing hormones, can also help reduce acne in women. Other acne-fighting meds contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
Whatever you decide to do about your acne, remember this: Come prom, performance, or presentation, it's not how you look, but what you do and say that makes you stand out. Acne, in the end, is as normal as life itself. |
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